


Hear My Roar

by totallyTargaryen



Category: Tintenwelt-Trilogie | Inkheart Trilogy - Cornelia Funke
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Slow Burn, firefox x female oc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-01-23 12:37:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18549916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyTargaryen/pseuds/totallyTargaryen
Summary: Helena is an 18 year old knife-thrower in the strolling players, her life is routine until she meets the Adderhead's herald, Firefox.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A friend of mine said that Firefox was an underrated character, and I agreed, so here's more of him.  
> Please let me know what you think of this story

She was weeping, it felt as if liquid bitterness was flowing through her veins instead of blood. Abandoned, unwanted. And why, because she looked "Too much like Renya and Calli?" or because she had her father's personality? It didn't matter, a mother who didn't want her child was no mother at all. The girl heard a pathetic mewl. She looked around, searching for it's source. A tiny jungle kitten crawled through the mud, sitting in front of her. He mewled again.  
"Hi little fella." The girl said. "Did your mother abandon you too?" He mewed by way of answer. She picked the tiny, dripping, bedraggled bundle of fur up, cradling him in her arms. "I can be your family." She whispered, petting the fuzzy head.  
"Why are you all alone?" Asked a male voice. The girl spun around, cursing herself for not being more attentive, when she saw the bear. She froze in terror, but the dark-skinned man standing next to the bear smiled warmly. It was the Black Prince.


	2. Striking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Firefox meets a sassy-ass girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild sexual tension, swearing

*******Three years later.*******

Firefox watched as his men took the prisoners to the stable. One of the soldiers dragged a young woman over. She was struggling.

"Sir." The man grunted. "This bitch is a handful." The girl twisted, slapping the soldier hard across the face. 

"You can't handle her?" Firefox said mockingly. She turned to glare at him, and he paused. She was strikingly beautiful, slender and lithe, she had fair skin, brown hair and the most amazing eyes he had ever seen. Silver, with just the faintest hint of blue, like the ice that covered frozen water. He noticed one of the soldiers had rips on his arm.

"What happened?" Firefox asked.

"She has a jungle cat, sir... She calmed him down and let us tie him up, so that we wouldn't kill him."

"See that it comes to no harm." Firefox growled. He turned back to the soldier restraining the girl. "Here, give her to me."

The man started forward, but the girl planted her feet firmly against the ground.

"Come here." The soldier growled.

"Get fucked!" The girl spat. Firefox chuckled, it had been a long time since he'd heard a woman say 'fuck'. Firefox strode over, gripping the young woman's arm. She kept her feet planted, but he was far bigger than she was, and dragged her easily. Firefox looked at the soldier who had been holding onto her before, and realized he hadn't dragged her because he was afraid she would hit him again. He pulled the silver-eyed girl over to where the innkeeper was.

"The prisoners and my men can stay here, but I want a bed." Firefox growled. "To myself." He added sternly.

"Of course." The innkeep nodded at once.

"Well well, who's this?" Said the nasal voice of the Piper. Firefox turned to see the minstrel appraising the girl. "The spoils of war?" He asked. The girl glared at him. The Piper smiled when he noticed her irate gaze. "You have lovely eyes, my dear." He said with a cheeky grin. "Who is she?" He asked Firefox.

"Just another prisoner."

"Oh, Firefox you really have no tact, if you don't know her name, ask her." Firefox glared after the silver-nosed man as he sauntered away. Then he glanced at the girl.

"What is your name?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

"Helena." She replied in cold voice. Before Firefox could ask her anything else, the innkeep came hurrying back.

"I'll take you to your room, sir?"

"Yes." Firefox said firmly, Following the man into the inn, dragging the resisting Helena in behind him. As soon as the door to the otherwise empty room closed. Firefox undid his armor, and stripped off his shirt. He glanced over to where Helena was standing.

"If you're waiting for me to take my shirt off, you'll be waiting a long time." She said flatly. Firefox barked a laugh.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to share the bed, or sleep on the floor."

"I'll take the floor." She said without a second thought.

"You'll get cold." She shrugged, and yanked one of the blankets off the bed. He laughed again. "Stubborn little beast, aren't you?"

 

"Cold yet?" Firefox's voice asked from the bed. Helena scowled, she was cold, but it would be a happy day in the Adderhead's palace before she would admit that. "You don't have to answer, I can see you shivering."

"Do you ever shut up?" She demanded.

Firefox chuckled. "I'm not the one with my teeth chattering." He said pointedly.

"Fuck off." Helena spat. She gasped as Firefox's arms slid underneath her, hauling her up on the bed with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can also be found on Wattpad as Motherofflame


	3. The Cold Light of Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just posting all the pre-written chapters

"No!" Helena spat. "No, put me down!" She demanded. Firefox kept her pinned firmly under his muscular arms.

"I think I like it better this way." Firefox mused.

"Get the hell off me!" Helena snarled.

"Calm down, I'm just tired of hearing your teeth clattering together." 

Helena was silent for a moment. "If you expect sex, it's not happening." Firefox began to laugh.

"I'm not expecting or asking for sex." He said, and she was taken aback by the sincerity in his deep voice.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked him. "Why are you so interested in me."

Firefox did not answer, instead, he said. "You should sleep now, Silver-eyes."

*****************

Firefox opened his eyes as Helena wriggled free of his arms, and hopped off the bed. Her feet, he realized, were bloodied and blistered.

"That looks painful." He noted. Helena shrugged.

"You get used to it." She said flatly. He watched as she rejoined the other prisoners, she went straight to the pregnant woman, and the other woman who was always with the children. He shook his head 'Careful, Firefox, remember what she is, a strolling player, not suitable company for you.' He thought to himself. He scowled out at the rain, at least this time he had a horse.

Resa walked tiredly along side the children. Mina looked equally exhausted, Helena had steely determination in her silver eyes. The oldest child timidly approached a soldier, trying to ask a question. Cold horror shot through Resa as the man raised his hand to slap the little girl. Before his hand connected, Helena smashed into him, both of them went crashing down into the wet grass.

"You stay the fuck away from her!" Helena screamed. From his cage, the jungle cat roared. Resa wanted to help, but she didn't know how, instead she took the child's hand, and pulled her away from the struggle. Resa looked up as Firefox himself dismounted his horse. He pulled Helena away from the soldier. Resa stepped forward, afraid he was going to hurt her.

"Calm down." Firefox was hissing at Helena. "Calm down, it's over." To his soldier, he shouted. "You, go bring up the rear." The soldier sullenly headed to the back. "Are you hurt?" He asked Helena. Resa felt her jaw drop, Firefox, giving a damn about a Strolling Player? His prisoner, no less?

"No." Helena said. "I'm fine." She turned, walking back towards Resa. 

"She's as wild as that animal of hers." One of the soldiers muttered.

"Are you okay." Helena asked the child. The little girl nodded.

"You're so brave." She whispered, hugging the older girl. Helena patted the child's back.

Resa glanced at Helena. "Do you have a family?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"What happened to your family?"

"My father and sisters drowned on the lake. He was a fishermen, teaching us his trade, I'd had to stay behind and do laundry that day. My mother... just stopped caring about me."

 

"That's awful."

"Yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is really appreciated


	4. The Fire Inside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave me some feedback or thoughts on the story.

They had just arrived at the Castle of Night when Firefox pulled her aside. 

"No." The big red-head said firmly. "You're coming with me." Helena unhappily followed him. He opened a bedroom door, and pulled her inside. "Why were you at the healing camp?" He demanded. "You're not sick, and you don't seem to have any children... What's wrong with you?"

Helena hesitated. "I did something stupid, and hurt myself." She answered sullenly. 

"How?" Firefox pressed, voice edged with... Concern?

"Why do you care?" Helena hissed. "You're the Adderhead's herald... you're a murderer." She blurted out. Firefox narrowed his blue eyes, but, to her surprise, he did not shout at or strike her. 

"And you're a Strolling Player." He said coldly. A knock came to the door.

*******

Firefox looked over as two of his soldiers awkwardly led the Jungle cat into the room. Joy and relief washed over Helena's face.

"Storm!" She cried, running over to her beast, she knelt, hugging him, burying her face in his golden fur. Firefox motioned for his soldiers to leave.

"You're very fond of your pet."

"Yes, I love him. How could I not? After all he's been through with me."

"How did you hurt yourself?"

The girl hesitated. "I... I cut my side open on a large piece of jagged glass." She pulled up her tunic, and unwound the bandages to show him the painful looking gash across her ribs. Firefox winced. He had seen hundreds of men wounded, he had inflicted hundreds of wounds, but with Helena, it felt wrong.

"Come with me." He commanded. Helena frowned.

"Where."

"To the best healer I know of. You need to get that looked at, or it's going to fester." Helena looked surprised. She rubbed her cat's ears, and then followed him down the long hallway.

 

Resa looked up as Firefox entered, He was holding Helena's arm.

"Barn owl." He said coolly. "I want you to look at her side." Resa again could not hide her surprise, Firefox actually cared for someone? A Strolling Player no less? The Barn Owl hurried over to Helena.

"This way, my dear." He said gently. Helena walked with him. Resa followed, ready to offer comfort to the girl. The Barn Owl clicked his tongue in dismay at the angry looking wound in the girl's side.

"How did this happen."

"I did something stupid." Helena said quietly. "I tried to climb through a broken window." Resa stared at the girl in disbelief, she had walked through the forest without complaint, gotten into a fight with a soldier, she had never once hinted that she was in pain.

"Why did you not reveal this sooner?" Resa asked her. Helena looked up at her with those beautiful silver eyes.

"Because there are others worse off." She said softly. Resa thought of Mo, and wanted to hug the girl for her bravery. Helena growled in pain as the Barn Owl rubbed an ointment into her wound. "You're Resa, right?"

Resa nodded. "Resa Folchart." Helena smiled.

"I'm Helena Silver-Eyes." She paused. "How's Mina?"

"She's doing fine." Helena nodded.

"She's a good friend, I've known her since I joined the Strolling Players."

"How did you come to join the Strolling Players?" Resa asked as the Barn Owl wrapped bandages around the wound on Helena's side.

"After my family... I told you my mother stopped caring for me, she got a new husband, she didn't want me around, I reminded her to much of what she had lost..." Helena paused. "So I left, I found Storm, my jungle cat that night, poor little guy was in the same kind of situation as me, he was the runt, mother abandoned him. So I took him, I had no plan, I didn't know what I was going to do, that's when I met the Black Prince and his Bear. The Prince asked me what was wrong, why was I traveling alone? I was 15 at the time, most 15 year old girls did not travel through the woods alone. So I told him. He took me then and there, just told me to follow him, the Strolling Player's became my family, I learned to throw knives, sing, and play with fire... "

"You can talk to fire?"

"Yeah, it doesn't always listen to me though." She chuckled. "It is rather condescending with me sometimes, but it always answer's me." She smiled. "Sootbird is not the best mentor. So I chose knife-throwing, the Black Prince taught me himself, and he is a good mentor." The Barn Owl straightened.

"You'll be fine, dear." Helena thanked him, and trailed over to where Firefox was waiting. The Adderhead's herald grabbed her arm, though not roughly, Helena looked over her shoulder, giving a half-smile at Resa. Resa smiled back at her.


	5. Let the Fire Burn Your Fears Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graphic injury, mention of attempted rape (Failed)

Fuck.

He should have known that the Adderhead wouldn't write his name in the book without testing on someone first. Why did it have to be him? Hadn't Firefox been loyal to him, fought for him, always obeyed him? He glimpsed Helena out of the corner of his eye. Dammit all, why had they brought her here? She was struggling against Basta, who sneered at her.

"Easy now, my beauty." Was all he said. Her jungle cat was chained to the wall at the end of the room. Of course, the Adderhead had promised to set them all free if the book worked. The Adderhead cleared his throat, reminding Firefox of his current predicament.

"The name you were born with, I know that you can write that." The Adderhead said, sounding as if he thought Firefox was stupid for that. He looked at the quill, the ink, the book...

 

Despair clawed at Helena's chest. She had to do something, she owed Firefox that much. 'Dammit Helena, your stupid heart ran away on you. And after you promised you would never care like this again. Doesn't it realize how hard you've tried to protect it?' She thought, frustrated. The flickering torch caught her eye. Maybe... She had tried to talk to the fire last night, she had used the Fire elf honey, perhaps it would work now... She softly called to the flames. It answered her, mocking and scornful, but as always it answered her. 'I need you now.' She told it desperately.

"How sweet." Basta's voice mocked. "Beauty here is praying."

'how wrong you are.' Helena thought, amused. The fire was still ignoring her pleas. Desperation squeezed her heart as she saw Firefox pick up the quill.

'Fire, I command you to obey me!' She sensed the fire's surprise, and relief flooded through her as it obeyed.

 

Firefox heard the gasps as a wall of fire separated him from the Adderhead. He saw Helena whirl, hands alight, grabbing Basta by the wrists. The man screamed, desperately wrenching away from her, and fleeing down the hall. The Bluejay and his daughter were watching, dumbstruck. Helena screamed something as she bolted over to unchain her cat. The wall of flames grew higher and brighter. Firefox could hear men screaming from the other side of it. She turned to look at him, silver eyes meeting his.

"Run!" She screamed at him. "Get out of here! Go!"

"Where are you going?" He shouted after her as she ran down the corridor.

"To free some of my friends."

 

Resa looked up as the warders screamed. The roar of Helena's jungle cat echoed off the walls. The silver-eyed girl ran up, quickly unlocking the door with the keys. Resa guessed that she must have stolen from the warders.

"Time to leave!" She shouted. Resa followed the rest of the prisoners out. Helena picked up one of the warder's swords, she winced, and Resa flinched at the sight of her forearms, her wrists were red and blistered, but it was her hands that horrified Resa; hideous burns oozing blood covered Helena's small hands, the blackened flesh already peeling off. They were almost outside when the first soldier tried to stop them. Resa could only think how close they'd been, but Helena impaled him swiftly and unflinchingly on the sword she had taken. The rain pelted Resa hard, but she did not care, they had a chance at freedom.

 

The Black Prince and his bear were the first to leap to the Prisoner's aid, his men soon followed. He saw the Prisoners trying to gather themselves, one of them had a Jungle Cat by her side. Dustfinger realized that it must be Helena, the girl the Black Prince had told him about. The first soldier attacked, and the cat leapt up, his golden jaws locking around the man's throat in a flash of teeth and a spray of blood. More men were appearing, when a horse collided with several men, trampling and kicking. Dustfinger nearly forgot about the Fire he was trying to wake up when he saw Firefox on the horse's back. Meggie and Resa were standing together, both looked unhurt, Silver-tongue had taken up a sword and was using it far better than Dustfinger could have. The bear was protecting the Prince, it's vicious claws leaving gaping wounds in the flesh of those unfortunate enough to get in it's way. Firefox really was incredible with a sword, the way that he cut down any man in his path... and... Helena's path. 'What do you know?' Dustfinger wondered. 'Firefox has fallen in love.' Then Dustfinger saw him.

Basta grabbed her by the throat before she could flinch back.

"I have suffered enough on account of this accursed fire, you little bitch." He spat at her. "And you are going to pay for it." He growled. "I'm greatly looking forward to fucking you tonight." Helena pulled the knife from her belt.

"You go to hell!" She spat, thrusting the wicked blade into his chest, burying it deep into his heart. Basta gave her an astounded look as he dropped dead at her feet. Firefox rode up beside her, looking at her hands in horror. In the heat of the battle, she had almost forgotten how much they hurt. The Prince and his bear warily approached Firefox, and he wordlessly went with them. Helena followed the rest of the Strolling Players into the mine. She sat there, wrapped up in the pain from her hands when Roxane approached.

"Helena..." She said, staring at the burns. "What have you done child?" Helena told her, and Roxane looked impressed.

"Come with me dear, I'll see what I can do."

Helena sat still as Roxane cleaned the burns with icy water. Helena thought that it was the best feeling ever. Roxane was using several herbs, but the only one Helena recognized was the spiny leaved aloe vera. When Roxane finished with the herbs, she bandaged Helena from hand to elbow in soft white cloth.

"How is it?" Roxane asked. Helena smiled.

"Better than it was." She went into the next tunnel of the mine, with the rest of the people who'd been treated and were trying to sleep. "Can you sing?" the child, Lianna asked her quietly. "I don't know any happy songs." "That's okay." The child said. "Please." "Okay." Helena relented

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of it!


	6. Love just took me by surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=66&v=eTa1jHk1Lxc
> 
> I don't own this song, but I love it so much I just had to use it

Firefox sat with his back against the wall. He'd explained everything to the Prince, and, after the Bluejay and confirmed his story, the Prince had accepted him.

"High in the halls of the Kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts." A lovely soft voice sang. Firefox listened intently.

"The ones she had lost, and the ones she had found, and the ones who had loved her the most." He stood, following the voice, wondering which Strolling Player was singing, it was a beautiful song, despite it's sadness. He came upon a cavern, and realized that the singing was coming from it, he stepped inside. Helena was sitting cross-legged on the floor, singing softly.

"The ones who'd been gone for so very long, she couldn't remember their names, they spun her around on the damp old stones, spun away all her sorrow and pain." Her voice was among the most beautiful he had ever heard.

"And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave."

Helena stopped singing, and the children clapped. She smiled, standing up. Her arms, he saw, were bandaged from finger tip to elbow, he hoped that the healers had done something about the pain she must have been suffering from the burns.

 

Fenoglio was pacing around the mine, looking at the rescued prisoners. He thought he might faint from shock when he saw Firefox. The Adderhead's former herald was standing with a young woman. Fenoglio's jaw dropped as Firefox gently tilted the woman's head up, and gave her a light kiss. One of the children clapped, and both Firefox and the woman laughed. Fenoglio noticed her hands and arms were bandaged, but she did not seem to care. Firefox unclasped his fox tail cloak, and wrapped it around the woman's shoulders. When she turned to follow Firefox, Fenoglio saw her silver eyes. In a heartbeat, he knew who she was. He had created her as a background character, she had been just 8 years old when he had written her 10 years ago, but he remembered her. Helena, he had named her, Helena Silver-Eyes, the daughter of a simple fisherman. She had been mentioned just once, fleetingly, when Dustfinger had bought fish from her father. Now, she would be about 18, and she was quite beautiful. Fenoglio was secretly quite pleased with how beautiful she had grown to be. She seemed to notice his stare, and the jungle cat by her side growled.

"Shhh, shhh." She soothed.

 

Helena leaned against Firefox's chest, wondering when exactly she had fallen in love. Had it been that morning? No, it must have been before that, or else she would not have been so afraid when his life was threatened. She rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes, she had never felt this way before, not felt that she could stay with someone for longer than a night. She had promised herself she would not fall in love, but she had fallen quite hard, but, she truly didn't mind. Firefox's arm draped across her shoulders, and she fell asleep against his chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, second episode of Thrones comes out tonight, and I am hyped!


End file.
